Jim Harbaugh can look to brother for getting through team's rough patch

Jim Harbaugh’s fiery style can polarize a locker room. What he does on the sidelines doesn’t work for everyone, and a report from the San Francisco Chronicle said Harbaugh’s act has “worn thin” with several players on the team. Harbaugh refuted any reports of problems with the 49ers brass, and said there was never an opportunity to leave the team in a Sports Illustrated interview.

Whether or not Harbaugh wants to leave the 49ers, he has turned the accomplished franchise around. The 49ers are 36-11-1 in three regular seasons under Harbaugh. Before him, they had not been to the playoffs since 2002.

But his teams have also fallen short of winning the Super Bowl. Two conference championship losses and a loss in the Super Bowl have placed Harbaugh’s teams in the category of good, not great. With his team underachieving and rumors of discord, can Harbaugh win the Lombard Trophy before the situation in San Francisco boils over?

The Super Bowl was won this year by Harbaugh’s complete opposite, Pete Carroll. The coach of the Seattle Seahawks is known as a player’s coach who is known to be friendly, not rough, on his players. It’s hard not to notice how different the two coaches are, and how the Seahawks consistently outplay the 49ers.

But there is also proof Jim Harbaugh’s style can work, if he knows how to deploy it. The proof comes in Harbaugh’s older brother, John. His similar style led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win after the 2012 season.

John dealt with serious dissent in the year the Ravens won it all. Yahoo Sports reported a “near mutiny” when Harbaugh pushed for a hard practice in the middle of the season. John handled the situation well, and the team was better after it happened.

Jim Harbaugh can get through a rough spot with his team if he handles it right. He only needs to look to his brother to learn what to do.